A typical trailer housing has top and bottom walls connected together by side walls and end walls. At least one of the walls includes an access door. The side walls typically have inner and outer panels connected to a bottom rail. To protect the inner panels from damage by contact with goods and/or loading equipment such as a fork lift truck, it is known to provide a scuff plate at the bottom end of the inner panels adjacent the floor. Thus, in a conventional construction the side wall adjacent the floor is comprised of three layers, namely the outer panels, the inner panels, and the scuff plate.
The present invention seeks to simplify the aboveidentified construction whereby there is only one plate which is both a bottom rail and a scuff plate while at the same time elevating the inner panels from the elevation of the floor so as to prevent the inner panels from being scuffed.
The side wall to floor connection in the railroad car disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,102,498 bears a superficial resemblance to the present invention. In that patent, the vertical posts and outer panels are secured to the upper end of an outer plate and the upper end of an inner plate. The lower end of the inner plate and outer plate are secured to each other and to a sidesill. The arrangement disclosed in that patent places the outward projection of the side wall above the car floor whereby it will clear the loading platform at railroad station stops. Said patent does not recognize the problem involved nor does it suggest a solution disclosed hereinafter.